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Wednesday, Mar 19, 2014
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New Mt Hutt lease may cost skifield BY SUSAN SANDYS
SUSAN.S@THEGUARDIAN.CO.NZ
Crucial negotiations between Mt Hutt Ski Area and the Department of Conservation are under way on renewal of the skifield’s long-term lease. The ski area is hoping the department does not hike its tenancy fees too high as it aims to keep a lid on its costs and ski pass prices.
Ski area manager James McKenzie said yesterday that the department was planning to publicly notify the ski area’s application for lease renewal of the ski area and easement on the access road soon. He understood it would be a 30-year lease, following the current 40-year lease running out. Mr McKenzie said that like any landlord, the department would want to in-
crease the rent, but like any tenant, Mt Hutt would be resistant to that. “We are in that phase now, we are just trying to find that happy medium,” Mr McKenzie said. It was costs such as this which the skifield had to meet which impacted on pass prices. However, linking potential increased lease fees with any future pass price in-
creases would be “scaremongering”, he said. The ski area has this year managed to freeze its season’s pass prices, but its adult day pass price will go to $95, up from $93 last year. Mr McKenzie said it was the first increase for “quite some time”, and reflected the rise in GST as well as rising power and fuel costs. PHOTO TONY HARRINGTON
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